Dandelion
by Jonquille Theravada
Summary: This is the story of after the war, the story of Peeta and how he watched as the girl he loves regains her fierceness, and falls in love with him. Finally.
1. Prologue

_Years later_

It had been a mistake to allow Haymitch to handle the wedding invitations, firstly because Katniss wanted the event to be small, secondly because I wanted the invitations to actually get sent out, and thirdly because we wanted people to take it seriously. Yet Haymitch had been entrusted with the duty at Katniss's insistence and I couldn't help but feel that my primary concern, you know, of having people actually receive the things, was exactly what she was trying to prevent.

What made me the most nervous was that be wouldn't let me look at the letters until after he'd sent them to a list of approved guests, and when I did finally look at it, a smirk danced at the corner of my mouth. Katniss wouldn't find this funny in the least, but my smirk blossomed into a smile.

"We can't show her," I said seriously, but I couldn't hold in my laugh anymore.

Haymitch's expression matched my own as we examined the card. It read:

"You are cordially invited to the (completely factual) wedding of

Miss Katniss Everdeen who has finally swallowed her pride

and

Peeta Mellark who never had pride in the first place

on the afternoon of April 25th this year in District 12."

I shook my head good-naturedly. It didn't matter what Haymitch had put in the invitation anyway, nothing could possibly shake my spirits.


	2. Chapter 1

I hadn't yet left my house that morning, allowing the television to play in the background as I tasted a roll, a little too nervous to be hungry. I was back in District 12, and Katniss Everdeen hadn't been in closer proximity to me in months. I could feel her in the air. Greasy Sae had said Katniss was dead to the world, haunted endlessly. There were whispers in the town about her madness, the great Mockingjay finally succumbing to the pressure she'd been under. I didn't necessarily believe either of those things, except that she was haunted. I was, too. There are things that no amount of humor and kindness can erase from my conscience.

I was pulled from my thoughts as I heard a familiar voice coming from the TV. I looked up to see Gale Hawthorne talking about the work being done in District 2. I wasn't selfish enough to feel happy that the competition was eliminated; instead I felt something akin to fury. How could he do this to Katniss? He wanted her so bad, so much so that I gave her up so she could be happy, and then he abandoned her without a second glance. He didn't even try. Of course what he was doing was important, but what if he was the one Katniss couldn't survive without?

I exhaled heavily. It wasn't any use getting angry. If there was one thing I'd learned in my time in the war, it was that hatred only leads to ugliness and destruction, and there had been enough of that. There needed to be beauty and birth and growth, and that's exactly what I'd intended to encourage that day.

I grabbed a shovel and headed to the woods, trying really hard not to think of how similar the area was to the first arena I entered. I found what I was looking for quickly enough and began to dig. Katniss and I used to add to an old family book of hers. I'd carefully sketch out plants and she'd write everything she knew about them. Years before she could even read, her mother had made an entry for evening primrose, with a picture of the yellow flower surrounded by long, dark leaves. The plant was impossible to misidentify.

I transported a few of the bushes in a wheelbarrow to Katniss's front yard and began digging. It was maybe an hour later when I heard footsteps running and then suddenly stopping. I looked up to see her, wearing the same clothes I'd last seen her in, hair made dark and thick with grease, and still beautiful.

"You're back," she said.

"Dr. Aurelius wouldn't let me leave the Capitol until yesterday," I answered, thinking back to how frustrated I'd been that I couldn't return to my home. I remembered some parting words he'd shared with me and added, "By the way, he said to tell you he can't keep pretending he's treating you forever. You have to pick up the phone."

As I examined her closer, there was a pang in my heart. I should have insisted Dr. Aurelius let me go. She needed someone. She looked nervous and suddenly, with agitation, she asked what I was doing.

"I went to the woods this morning and dug these up," I explained. "For her. I thought we could plant them along the side of the house." I help my breath as I saw rage flicker across her face and then realization. She nodded and without a word, ran away. Over the course of the next hour, I heard a few crashed coming from the inside of her house and resisted the urge to run in and help her. She probably had the door locked, anyway.

Later on, I watched her exit with clean hair and her bow and smiled to myself. Her resilience never failed to astonish me.


	3. Chapter 2

**_Author's note: This isn't a dead fic, I promise. I wanted to hold out until I'd finished a very long chapter for you guys, but the process was taking too long, so I chose to post this chapter and extend the next chapter, if that makes sense. Enjoy, and sorry about the wait. _**

I began helping Greasy Sae with taking care of Katniss. There were days when we'd find her in the exact position we'd left her in the day before, or worse, writhing in her sleep from a terrible nightmare. When that happened, I'd hold her until she woke up.

After three months of that, she woke up and stared at me in what I can only describe as relief. She pulled me forward and whispered, "Stay with me," into my ear. And just as quietly, I answered, "Always."

* * *

><p>"So what's with you and Katniss?" Haymitch asked, throwing feed at his geese. He was halfway down the last bottle of some amber-colored liquor that'd been shipped in from the Capitol and you could tell he was trying and failing to conserve it.<p>

"Nothing. She's hunting now, so that's good," I answered, clearly dodging the question.

"Right, okay, _Lover Boy_."

I cringed, reminded of my first trip to the arena and who used to call me that. Haymitch noticed.

"I'm sorry," he said, backtracking. "I didn't mean—"

"No, it's fine," I answered. "It'll be fine."

Haymitch whistled and looked at me, almost admiringly.

"What?" I asked.

"After all that happened, you still love her."

I took a deep breath and looked up to see Katniss exit her house in the distance with her bow slung around her shoulder. My face lit up and I could almost feel Haymitch roll his eyes next to me.

"Always," I answered as I broke into a light job to try and catch up with her.


End file.
